Agriculture is at the heart of food security in the basin. It is a source of employment, livelihood and one of the main drivers of economic growth. The economic and social development of the basin is dependent on agriculture.

This includes cultivation of crops, rearing of livestock, forest products and fisheries. Intensifying agricultural production and increasing overall productivity is critical in the basin. The dependence on agriculture for food security and economic growth raises some concern on sustainable use of natural resources. Agricultural activities alone contribute a lot to land degradation, pollution, and vegetation cover change. The rate of loss of forests to agricultural activities thus demands intensification rather than expansion of agricultural activities.

It is the mainstay of the Zambezi Basin states, supporting millions of people both as producers and consumers, and contributes immensely to the economies of the basin states. On average, agriculture contributes 34 percent of southern Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP), employs 80 percent of the total labour force, accounts for about 26 percent of foreign exchange earnings and contributes more than 50 percent of raw materials to industry.

Production is subsistence or commercial. Subsistence farming is dominant in most rural areas of the basin. Both subsistence and commercial agriculture depend on rainfall, which is varied and unreliable across the region. Rainfall ranges from about 10 mm in some parts of Namibia to about 2,800 mm in some parts of Malawi.

Natural disasters such as drought and floods compound the situation as they can result in widescale crop failures.

The drought has dealt the region a blow as evidenced by the decline in cereal harvest by 35 percent during the 1994/1995 season and 42 percent in the 1993/1994 season. Lack of resources and infrastructure (for example irrigation facilities) contribute to decline in food output especially during drought periods.

With the majority dependent on agriculture the countries are faced with a serious challenge - to achieve self-sufficiency in food production.